Real Estate

File photos: “For Sale” sign Brandon Bell | Getty Images Consumers seemed unimpressed by the latest drop in mortgage rates. Total mortgage application volume rose just 0.9% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550
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Hong Kong retained its pole position as the world’s most expensive city for expats in 2024, according to Mercer. Chunyip Wong | E+ | Getty Images Asia’s biggest financial hubs have once again clinched the top spots for being the costliest cities for international workers to live in, according to Mercer.  Hong Kong was ranked
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Row of shophouses in Singapore’s Katong area. Olivier Chouchana | Gamma-rapho | Getty Images SINGAPORE — The ornate, colorful “shophouses” that line the streets in some old neighborhoods of Singapore are not what immediately comes to mind when people think of the city-state. In a country where land is scarce and public housing can cost
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As sea levels rise and storms intensify, coastal real estate is seeing flooding and erosion like never before. From Dana Point, California, to Long Island, New York and Nantucket, Massachusetts, some of the nation’s priciest coastal real estate is in an increasingly precarious position due to climate change. This year’s hurricane season is already underway,
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Senior couple repairing kitchen cabinet at home Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Alex Marrero and his wife bought their first home this spring in Coral Springs, Florida — and the couple has already spent nearly $17,000 on home maintenance, repairs and installations.  While they knew they needed to do improvements from “the minute
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Chris Wattie | Reuters The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged. Fresh inflation data issued earlier in the day showed that consumer prices are gradually moderating though remain above the central bank’s target. The Fed’s benchmark fed funds rate has now stood within the range of 5.25% to 5.50% since
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Some Americans believe that real estate is the best long-term investment. If you’re among them, real estate investment trusts, or REITs, might be the easiest way to tap the market.  About 36% of surveyed Americans ranked real estate as the top long-term investment, more than cited stocks or mutual funds (22%), gold (18%), and savings
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Consumers confronted with high housing prices sometimes point to private equity when buying homes as a contributing factor. But experts say that while the housing market has multiple issues, it’s hard to determine if real estate investor activity is truly deterring people from becoming homeowners across the U.S. Real estate investors purchased about 44,000 U.S.
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Hurricane Irma strikes Miami, Florida, in 2017. Warren Faidley | Getty Images Hurricane season has officially begun. With scientists predicting yet another active year for storms, making your home hurricane resistant has become a more valuable precaution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its forecast May 23 that it expects an 85% chance
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